AmaWaterways wine cruises add a unique epicurean dimension to a variety of itineraries at no additional cost. Join one of these wine cruises with a special wine host and be treated to a menu of exclusive wine and culinary experiences designed to delve deeper into the wonderful flavors and tastes of Europe.
European cities transform into majestic winter wonderlands for the holiday season – and we invite you to experience all their splendor with us. In addition to our variety of daily excursions, you will also have the opportunity to visit festive Christmas Markets in select destinations and participate in nostalgic traditions.
Maximize your Christmas experience by embarking at the height of the holiday market season with daily or near-daily visits to Christmas Markets.
Get "just a taste" of the holidays in mid-November or late December with visits to one or two Christmas Markets during your river cruise.
We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to experience Floriade in 2022 while sailing along the Rhine River and Dutch and Belgian Waterways between April 14 and October 9. Right outside Amsterdam, this rare experience calls for its visitors to “explore, touch and change” as part of their journey into Floriade – which is set to feature stunning gardens, innovative sustainable gardening exhibits, live entertainment, talk shows, souvenirs and food stalls.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Rhône with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Explore the rich history of classical music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2024.
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through four countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
Join Chef Joanne Weir, award-winning cookbook author, restaurant owner and host of PBS television series “Plates & Places” as she hosts a special 7-night Flavors of Burgundy river cruise.
We invite you to join our incredible cruise on the Danube with a Latin Touch, featuring bilingual cruise managers, daily tours with Spanish-speaking guides, Latin-inspired music nights and other distinctive elements.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive response received from the announcement of our first-ever “Soulful Experience” on the Rhône River in 2023, we are delighted to announce four new opportunities for guests to celebrate their heritage and discover Black history and culture along the rivers with us in 2025
Explore the rich history of classical and folkloric music along the Danube River where famous composers lived, worked and performed. Plus, be treated to a variety of live performances on this melodious journey.
Countries Visited: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
Join award-winning television host and travel expert, Samantha Brown, Godmother of AmaMagna, as we cruise through five countries along the Danube River. Special events and Travel Talks are included on this exclusive sailing.
We invite our loyal past guests to join us once again on these special Loyalty Cruises, offering unique experiences in multiple ports, commemorative gifts, and many more surprises and delights.
Imagine if there was a way to combine luxury river cruising on the iconic Danube with the opportunity to indulge your passion and play golf. We have created the perfect package to enable you to do just that with our Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Discover Europe, complete with award winning cuisine, incredible service and a choice of excursions in every port, as well as up to 5 rounds of golf at some of the leading championship courses on the continent.
AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available on select Magna on the Danube cruises sailing aboard the AmaMagna.
Hello! "I'm Kristin Karst, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of AmaWaterways and I'm passionate about river cruising. Each month, I love to share with you my thoughts, personal stories, travel tips and latest news on the people and places that help turn every mile of our guests' river cruise experience into one of their most cherished memories!"
Sauternes is a product of Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle grapes – along with arduous labor and meticulous care. Taste this delicious wine for yourself on an included excursion, available during our Taste of Bordeaux itinerary. Common flavor notes include apricots, honey, peaches, and a rich nuttiness. Although sweet, it pairs perfectly with savory flavors, relishing with the contrast. Foie gras is a classic match. But vintners recommend everything from peppery-flavored Asian cuisine to Roquefort terrine to red meat to chicken and even to crunchy french fries. The goal is to bring out as many nuances as possible with flavors and textures that can stand up to it. Dishes that are creamy (high-fat cheeses and cream-based sauces), salty (cured meats and ham), briny (lobster and other seafood), mineral (oysters), acidic (citrus) and spicy (chiles) are a delicious start.
A Selective Harvest
The vintage typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages – and the finish can resonate on the palate for several minutes. Damp, cool weather conditions prevail in the Sauternes region. Cool, misty mornings give way to warm, sunny afternoons. Nestled along the Garonne and Ciron Rivers, it’s the perfect microclimate to encourage grapes to over-ripen, letting them shrivel virtually into raisins and enhance their sweet flavors. Yields are much lower here, as these grapes do not develop at even rates and so the fermentation is much more elusive, with harvesters having to hand-select the fruit. This, of course, drives up the price and explains why Sauternes wines are often associated with luxury and special occasions. While a typical grape vine may produce a bottle of wine, it takes an entire vine to create a glass of Sauternes.
A Friendly Fungus
The not-so-sweet sounding explanation for this wine's complexity? A fabled fungus called Botrytis Cinerea (aka noble rot). Long ago, it was a closely guarded secret that these wines were created using rotted grapes, but this fungus is what wine aficionados call ‘friendly.’ It works the grape into a state of dehydration, concentrating the sugar and acidity and thus producing its sweet, honeyed flavor. These decadent wines can age for decades and even have the potential to age well beyond 100 years.
The Turn to White Wine
Like most of France, wine production – or viticulture – is believed to have been introduced by the Romans during the Roman Empire. However, sweet wine production didn’t begin until many centuries later, in about the 1600s. Until that time, the demand for French wines were of red claret. White wines were popular in Germany (and the Netherlands), but as German production waned in favor of beer, connoisseurs of white grapes looked towards France. The Dutch introduced German white wine techniques – by the end of the 18th century, Sauternes wines were internationally known and finding fame amongst new continents. Thomas Jefferson was an avid fan and introduced the sweet vintage to then-President George Washington.
Toast with this sweet wine to more celebrations while sailing on our Taste of Bordeaux itinerary.